How Green Becomes Wood

"I'm sorry," He mumbled, feeling like everything was a mistake. On one hand, he felt like everything he said today he was told was wrong about, or that he was thinking incorrectly about, and maybe he just should start feeling differently, and then his life would be just so much better. And maybe he was just this way, but he should really try being different, just to make sure. But on the other hand he didn't want to lash out as anyone, and know Alec was probably mad at him, and he was just over it. This was exactly why he didn't really mind moving all the time. This is why not talking to people felt better. He wanted to just be home, already, alone in his room with his birds, but he either needed to be stared at while putting his grandparents out of their way or sit in the most awkward car ride of his life, and neither seemed like something he'd want to do. Maybe he could bike home.
 
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Xander said firmly. "You didn't do anything wrong." He nodded toward the van. "Come on. It's faster and safer than biking right now, and it'll only take a couple of minutes."
 
Xander opened the back door for him and waited until he was in and seated before closing it. Alec climbed into the passenger seat, and once Xander had the van started, he started fiddling with the radio.

"Any good stations that you know of?" Alec asked Milo lightly. "There's an oldies station and a rock one, but I'm not familiar with the rest."
 
"I'll put it on the oldies, then. It's usually pretty decent," Alec said, flipping over to the station.

"And then leave it," Xander warned. "I hate when you station hop."

Alec sighed but nodded. "Alright. As long as I can turn down the songs I don't like."
 
After a few moments, Milo said, "My mom always makes sure to bring CDs with her. We never knew if we'd end up somewhere without good radio service, and she hates driving in silence. The moment we heard static she'd tell me exactly what disc to put in, and if somehow we couldn't get to the cds, and we just had static, she'd sing any song she could think of as loudly as she could until the radio came back."
 
"That's not a bad idea," Alec approved. "We should do that!"

"This thing doesn't have a CD player," Xander grumbled. "It's just too new enough. I think if it was like a year older, we'd have one."

Alec made a face. "How about a cheap MP3 player to slot in, then, and keep in the car?"

Xander shrugged. "Could work."
 
Alec turned in his seat enough to start hunting around for the port. "I think this is it. No, wait, this isn't it. Oh! Here it is! It has one!" A song came on the radio, and he paused to frown. "Hang on, isn't this 'Thank You for the Venom?'"

Xander groaned and reached over to change it, but Alec blocked him. "Really?"

"I think we owe it to them to enjoy at least one of their songs," Alec grinned.
 
"Don't hate the instrumentals," Xander said as Alec pretended to play the guitar. "I can't take the vocals seriously. Something about them just really rubs me the wrong way in a way I can't explain."
 
"Oh," Milo began to say, at first sounding surprised, but then he stopped, thought about it for a moment, and said, "That makes a lot of sense, actually. I wonder if he knows he's old enough for that to happen."
 
"I think if you grow up only listening to old music, that's the smartest thing you can do," Milo mused,"Then you never have to feel old when it comes on the oldies station. That's why I like listening to Nirvana."
 
"If I've heard Nirvana, I didn't know it was them. I can't think of a single song I know by them. I'll try to look them up when I get home," Alec promised.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," Xander said dryly.

"Oh, that was them?" Alec asked in surprise.
 
"I'm surprised you didn't know that," Milo said, as surprised as Alec was that Smells Like Teen Spirit is a Nirvana song, "I thought you're like... a music guy. They also did Heart-Shaped Box."
 
"I am! But there's just so much music! It's like trying to be a history nerd. There's just so much history it's impossible to know all of it! Even if I wish I did. For music, that is," Alec sighed in exasperation.
 
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